New research shows Karnak Temple rose from an island created by the Nile, reshaping ideas about its origins. The site’s unique geography may have been chosen to reflect ancient Egyptian beliefs about creation itself.
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Karnak Temple may have been built where myth and the Nile literally rose together.
Archaeologists have completed the most detailed geoarchaeological investigation ever undertaken at Egypt’s Karnak Temple near Luxor, one of the largest temple complexes of the ancient world and a UNESCO World Heritage site visited by millions each year. The research provides a clearer picture of when the site was first occupied and suggests a possible connection between its location and ancient Egyptian creation beliefs.
The findings, published in Antiquity, present fresh evidence about the age of the temple, explore potential links to Egyptian mythology, and explain how changes in the Nile’s landscape influenced people who lived at and expanded the site over roughly 3,000 years.
“This new research provides unprecedented detail on the evolution of Karnak Temple, from a small island to one of the defining institutions of Ancient Egypt,” says Dr. Ben Pennington, lead author of the study and a Visiting Fellow in Geoarchaeology at the University of Southampton.
Karnak Temple lies about 500 meters east of the modern River Nile, close to Luxor, in what was once the religious heart of Ancient Egypt at Thebes.
Karnak Temple, Luxor, Egypt.
Credit: Dr. Ben Pennington
Reconstructing the Ancient Environment Around Karnak
The international team was led by Dr. Angus Graham of Uppsala University and included several researchers from the University of Southampton. Together, they examined 61 sediment cores taken from inside and around the temple complex. To refine the timeline of their discoveries, the team also analyzed tens of thousands of ceramic fragments recovered from the site.
By combining these lines of evidence, the researchers reconstructed how the surrounding landscape evolved through different historical periods. Their analysis showed that before about 2520 BCE, the area was regularly overwhelmed by fast flowing Nile floodwaters, making long term settlement impractical. As a result, the earliest sustained occupation at Karnak likely dates to the Old Kingdom (c.2591-2152 BC). Pottery evidence supports this conclusion, with the oldest fragments dating between approximately c.2305 and 1980 BC.
“The age of Karnak Temple has been hotly contested in archaeological circles, but our new evidence places a temporal constraint on its earliest occupation and construction,” said Dr. Kristian Strutt, a co-author from the University of Southampton.
Credit: Dr. Ben Pennington
How River Channels Created Sacred Ground
According to the study, the land that eventually supported Karnak Temple formed as Nile channels eroded their beds to the west and east of the site. This process left behind a raised island of stable ground in what is now the east/south-east portion of the temple precinct. That elevated area provided a suitable foundation for early settlement and construction.
As centuries passed, the river channels on either side of the site gradually moved farther apart. This natural shift opened up additional space, allowing the temple complex to expand over time.
One unexpected finding involved the eastern channel. Previously, it had been considered largely theoretical, but the new data show it was well defined and may even have been larger than the western channel that earlier studies emphasized.
“The river channels surrounding the site shaped how the temple could develop and where, with new construction taking place on top of old rivers as they silted up,” explained Dominic Barker, another co-author from the University of Southampton.
He added, “We also see how Ancient Egyptians shaped the river itself, through the dumping of sands from the desert into channels, possibly to provide new land for building, for example.”
According to the study, the land that eventually supported Karnak Temple formed as Nile channels eroded their beds to the west and east of the site. This process left behind a raised island of stable ground in what is now the east/south-east portion of the temple precinct. That elevated area provided a suitable foundation for early settlement and construction.
As centuries passed, the river channels on either side of the site gradually moved farther apart. This natural shift opened up additional space, allowing the temple complex to expand over time.
One unexpected finding involved the eastern channel. Previously, it had been considered largely theoretical, but the new data show it was well defined and may even have been larger than the western channel that earlier studies emphasized.
“The river channels surrounding the site shaped how the temple could develop and where, with new construction taking place on top of old rivers as they silted up,” explained Dominic Barker, another co-author from the University of Southampton.
He added, “We also see how Ancient Egyptians shaped the river itself, through the dumping of sands from the desert into channels, possibly to provide new land for building, for example.”
Credit: Dr. Ben Pennington
Parallels With Ancient Egyptian Creation Myths
The reconstructed landscape beneath Karnak closely resembles imagery found in Ancient Egyptian creation stories. This similarity has led researchers to suggest that religious ideas may have influenced the choice of the temple’s location. Texts from the Old Kingdom describe the creator god emerging as a mound of high ground rising from ‘the lake’. Notably, the island on which Karnak was established is the only known elevated area in the region that was once surrounded by water.
“It’s tempting to suggest the Theban elites chose Karnak’s location for the dwelling place of a new form of the creator god, ‘Ra-Amun’, as it fitted the cosmogonical scene of high ground emerging from surrounding water,” says Dr. Pennington.
Parallels With Ancient Egyptian Creation Myths
The reconstructed landscape beneath Karnak closely resembles imagery found in Ancient Egyptian creation stories. This similarity has led researchers to suggest that religious ideas may have influenced the choice of the temple’s location. Texts from the Old Kingdom describe the creator god emerging as a mound of high ground rising from ‘the lake’. Notably, the island on which Karnak was established is the only known elevated area in the region that was once surrounded by water.
“It’s tempting to suggest the Theban elites chose Karnak’s location for the dwelling place of a new form of the creator god, ‘Ra-Amun’, as it fitted the cosmogonical scene of high ground emerging from surrounding water,” says Dr. Pennington.
Credit: Dr. Ben Pennington
Later writings from the Middle Kingdom (c.1980-1760 BC) expand on this theme, describing the ‘primeval mound’ rising from the ‘Waters of Chaos’. During that era, the seasonal retreat of the Nile’s floodwaters would have visually echoed this myth, with the mound beneath Karnak appearing to rise and expand as the waters receded.
Expanding Research Across the Luxor Floodplain
With permission now granted to study the wider Luxor floodplain, the research team is extending its work to other major archaeological sites in the area. Their goal is to better understand how landscapes and waterways shaped the development of the entire religious capital zone of Ancient Egypt.
Later writings from the Middle Kingdom (c.1980-1760 BC) expand on this theme, describing the ‘primeval mound’ rising from the ‘Waters of Chaos’. During that era, the seasonal retreat of the Nile’s floodwaters would have visually echoed this myth, with the mound beneath Karnak appearing to rise and expand as the waters receded.
Expanding Research Across the Luxor Floodplain
With permission now granted to study the wider Luxor floodplain, the research team is extending its work to other major archaeological sites in the area. Their goal is to better understand how landscapes and waterways shaped the development of the entire religious capital zone of Ancient Egypt.
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